What Makes History Happen?

The first of Fortune's three-part series on the nature of power.

Anyone who’s spent time among the mighty – and the wannabes – from the White House to the corridors of the Fortune 500 knows that larger forces than mere Presidents shape the fate of nations. Even the shrewdest political leaders and seemingly omniscient CEOs are the playthings of external factors, though it’s not always clear which factor has the most stroke. Three big questions offer the beginning of wisdom here and also serve as a handy Rorschach test. What’s your take on power? Let’s find out.